sententious

American  

[sen-ten-shuhs] / sɛnˈtɛn ʃəs /

adjective

1. abounding in pithy aphorisms or maxims.

   a sententious book.

2. given to excessive moralizing; self-righteous.

   Synonyms:

   moralistic, sanctimonious, didactic, preachy

3. given to or using pithy sayings or maxims.

   a sententious poet.

4. of the nature of a maxim; pithy.

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sententious British  

/ sɛnˈtɛnʃəs /

adjective

1. characterized by or full of aphorisms, terse pithy sayings, or axioms

2. constantly using aphorisms, etc

3. tending to indulge in pompous moralizing

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Other Word Forms

• nonsententious adjective
• nonsententiousness noun
• sententiosity noun
• sententiously adverb
• sententiousness noun
• unsententious adjective
• unsententiousness noun

Etymology

Origin of sententious

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin sententiōsus “meaningful, pithy”; sentence, -ous

Example Sentences

Audiences have no choice but to exist in the theatrical moment, without recourse to linear logic, sententious language or psychological epiphanies.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2025

Yet “sandblasted” is not a satire of Oprah or Oprah-ism; especially as played by the former newscaster and talk show host Rolonda Watts, Adah is at least as warm as she is sententious.

From New York Times • Feb. 27, 2022

Sometimes, though, he drifts into a more sententious, editorial register.

From Washington Post • Jan. 21, 2022

The film is narrated in a wanly philosophical and sententious voice-over, which Willem Dafoe delivers in an oracular, seen-it-all voice.

From The New Yorker • Dec. 6, 2018

Mark particularly the sententious diction of this newly arisen sage.

From Know the Truth; A critique of the Hamiltonian Theory of Limitation by Jones, Jesse H.